Specialty Restaurants

[BirdTravels]

For us, Cagney's has slowly moved to the bottom of the list of Specialty restaurants. The quality of the food and the quality of service at Cagney's across the fleet has been on a steady decline (pre- and post-COVID). 

 

Just prior to the COVID shutdown, we were on the Escape. We had awful service and poor quality food at Cagney's. A day later, I had the Assistant General Manager cold call me in our stateroom and asked "how is the cruise going" and I told her "great, except for Cagney's". That night, we had the Cagney's restaurant manger chasing us down on the ship to apologize and offering another dinner at Cagney's. We declined. 

[DCGuy64]

That's a shame, @BirdTravels. I don't blame you for declining, but I will say this because it relates to your story: I ate at Cagney's with my wife on the NCL Gem in September 2021, and the steak was overcooked. Not tremendously, but a little too much for my liking. My wife urged me to send it back, but it wasn''t terrible, and the other things we had (sides, bread, salad) were more than enough to fill me up. We spoke with the maitre-d' at the end of our meal and she asked us how everything went. I was honest: I loved the restaurant and the food, but my one critique was the steak. She apologized and ended up sending a cake to our room. My 2nd time at Cagney's was on the Epic in December 2022. Same thing, I ordered my filet rare and it came out medium well. Nope. I called the server over and said "I'm sorry, this isn't rare." She apologized and about 5 minutes later, an obviously just-cooked rare steak came out. Now the first steak had been served on a hot plate, which prompted my wife to conclude that it was probably cooked correctly but then left under a heat lamp. The old me from many years ago would never TOUCH a steak that wasn't well done, I absolutely used to despise any redness whatsoever. But gradually I've come to appreciate the tenderness of rare or medium rare steak. The moral of my story is, don't be afraid to speak up, because they DO want you to be happy. Just give them a chance.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

Our first foray into La Cucina was in 2021 on the Gem, and it was outstanding. I had the Osso Buco, which was downright delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender. I also had the pasta e fagioli soup, which was also excellent. My wife and I shared the burrata appetizer, which was heavenly. Now, if I were in Italy, I probably would have gotten a somewhat better meal, depending where I was and how much I spent. But it was VERY, VERY good food. I also know food is one of the most subjective things on earth. What I like, you might not. I read countless reviews of the "terrible" pizza on MSC, because there wasn't much cheese, few toppings, and the crust was 'burnt.' Well no s***, Sherlock, THAT'S HOW ITALIANS MAKE PIZZA. 🤣 If you didn't like it, it doesn't mean it was 'wrong.'

There's nothing subjective about burnt "charred" crust pizza. It's horrible. I don't care. You're wrong if you like it. (ok, I'm being slightly sarcastic, but seriously get that charred junk out of my face).

 

As for La Cucina - I agree. We've always had great meals there. Of course it isn't authentic Italian. Go to Italy for that. The burrata is excellent, alas it's gone. Replaced with mozzarella, for your convenience, I'm sure.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the lasagna. The spaghetti carbonara is perfect for my husband as there's no peas or peppers hiding in it. Just a regular carbonara. The pizza is the best on the ship - doesn't say a lot, but hey it's the best. I really enjoyed the pear salad as it was light which is a nice difference from all the heavy food you find on a cruise ship. We also enjoyed the cartoccio, though the portion was created for a child. And, finally, the spicy shrimp was yum, not too spicy, but you could tell it had some spice in it.

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

There's nothing subjective about burnt "charred" crust pizza. It's horrible. I don't care. You're wrong if you like it. (ok, I'm being slightly sarcastic, but seriously get that charred junk out of my face).

I'm glad you're being (slightly) sarcastic, I was about to go ballistic on you for eating that cartoccio. Yuck! Let's just understand taste is SUBJECTIVE, 100% of the time. When it comes to what you like and what I don't, there's no such thing as right and wrong, just different. I've been to Italy 27 times and I know what Italian food is supposed to taste like. Many Americans turn their noses up at real Italian food because they're ignorant heathens who are crude and uncultured. <= That was meant to be sarcasm, too, BTW. 😉

[laudergayle]

6 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

The burrata is excellent, alas it's gone. Replaced with mozzarella,

Darn…I hadn’t noticed the replacement.  I can’t wait for the day when they start adding back the nicer/better ingredients to showcase their dining experience.  

[big al]

36 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Well said, @big al! We did the Teppanyaki on the Epic in December and loved it. The chef was very funny and entertaining, and the food was truly memorable. There's nothing like having your food cooked before your very eyes. They always ask if anyone has food allergies so they can prepare some things off to the side. And, like you, we enjoyed being at a table of only 6 people instead of 600!

Thanks, DCGuy64..this is what I don't think people get..it's not just the better food, it's the whole experience which we love..we rarely love the experience in the MDR- even if the meal was good, and our waiters were good..you are still dining in like a wedding hall or like a Friday's ( not even that, really..)..EVERYBODY that has cruised with us and I asked them if they preferred the specialty dining ( on all cruise lines..) over the MDR ( would NEVER eat in the buffet..we want to be served & feel special..), ALL have said, "yes, huge difference"..it's a no brainer to us, but to each his/her own...I don't think $25-45 for a 3-5 course meal in a romantic setting is a lot..you can't even eat at Denny's for that, and they won't seat you outside over looking the sea & sunset, will they? 😉

Edited February 1, 2023 by big al
forgot word

[New2cruise2022]

22 minutes ago, big al said:

Thanks, DCGuy64..this is what I don't think people get..it's not just the better food, it's the whole experience which we love..we rarely love the experience in the MDR- even if the meal was good, and our waiters were good..you are still dining in like a wedding hall or like a Friday's ( not even that, really..)..EVERYBODY that has cruised with us and I asked them if they preferred the specialty dining ( on all cruise lines..) over the MDR ( would NEVER eat in the buffet..we want to be served & feel special..), ALL have said, "yes, huge difference"..it's a no brainer to us, but to each his/her own...I don't think $25-45 for a 3-5 course meal in a romantic setting is a lot..you can't even eat at Denny's for that, and they won't seat you outside over looking the sea & sunset, will they? 😉

The point of our post is that the service — the upgrade in service — was not so much that it felt more or better than what was available in the MDR. That may have been a result of inexperienced staff. So much of the staff struggled with the language. They were flustered. You could see how uncomfortable if you had any questions or asked for anything that you couldn’t specifically point to on a menu. More than a couple of times, the server would listen to what you said and then point to the menu item to confirm. 

[darbs7]

On my last 10 or so cruises I have only eaten in the speciality restaurants.  Before they were part of free at sea promotions I would buy a 6 or 7 night dining package.  Our cruises are so much more enjoyable.  I like the cooked to order food, the private tables, the quieter atmosphere.  I don't like the "show" stuff in main dining or the mass cooked orders.  We cruise every February but this is our first time since Covid (we go in 2 weeks).

[sailorusvi]

I've never sailed NCL, so I can't give my opinion on if it's worth it or not.  After reading this thread I'm no closer to knowing the answer than I was when you first posted.

 

Fact is it's very subjective.  Everyone has different likes/dislikes and budgets.  We are in Haven. We booked 2 specialty dinners (1 through FAS, the other a la carte). We enjoy variety and do not mind spending extra even though we have food already included in the cruise fare.   We are not you though.

 

We are under no illusion any of the food will be amazing.  We want decent food and a good experience, which means differently to different people.  Time will tell if it's "worth it" for us, but I don't see than happening until we've hit all the Specialty dinning restaurants.     

[New2cruise2022]

1 minute ago, darbs7 said:

On my last 10 or so cruises I have only eaten in the speciality restaurants.  Before they were part of free at sea promotions I would buy a 6 or 7 night dining package.  Our cruises are so much more enjoyable.  I like the cooked to order food, the private tables, the quieter atmosphere.  I don't like the "show" stuff in main dining or the mass cooked orders.  We cruise every February but this is our first time since Covid (we go in 2 weeks).

Great review of specialty. Enjoy your cruise!

[cruiseny4life]

42 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'm glad you're being (slightly) sarcastic, I was about to go ballistic on you for eating that cartoccio. Yuck! Let's just understand taste is SUBJECTIVE, 100% of the time. When it comes to what you like and what I don't, there's no such thing as right and wrong, just different. I've been to Italy 27 times and I know what Italian food is supposed to taste like. Many Americans turn their noses up at real Italian food because they're ignorant heathens who are crude and uncultured. <= That was meant to be sarcasm, too, BTW. 😉

To be fair, it was a one and done. Next time I'm in La Cucina (hopefully March), it'll be pasta, pasta, pasta! I am a heathen - don't worry about me not knowing that! Give me Georgian khinkali and khachapuri please.

[big al]

1 minute ago, New2cruise2022 said:

The point of our post is that the service — the upgrade in service — was not so much that it felt more or better than what was available in the MDR. That may have been a result of inexperienced staff. So much of the staff struggled with the language. They were flustered. You could see how uncomfortable if you had any questions or asked for anything that you couldn’t specifically point to on a menu. More than a couple of times, the server would listen to what you said and then point to the menu item to confirm. 

Understood about service..but service for me is #4 on the list of why I like specialty dining a lot more...#1 is the food is so much better IMO...#2 is the ambiance...# 3 is the menu..and # 4 is the service..for us service is pretty good on most ships...#5 is the price & value...JMHO...

[New2cruise2022]

2 minutes ago, big al said:

Understood about service..but service for me is #4 on the list of why I like specialty dining a lot more...#1 is the food is so much better IMO...#2 is the ambiance...# 3 is the menu..and # 4 is the service..for us service is pretty good on most ships...#5 is the price & value...JMHO...

The ambiance continued to be better and more intimate than other venues. The food was not. Historically this may have been the case, but there are increasing reports that the value for many does not warrant the upcharge. Many thumbs up for FAS specialty dining, but purchasing more is a waste because the meals no longer live up to the reputation you have experienced. 

[fenny7cats]

We recently did an 11 night cruise and had 4 speciality restaurants as part of our FAS package booked nearly 2 years ago.  We loved Cagneys - fantastic steaks, sauces and service (we went twice, both the best meals of the cruise), We also went to Le Bistro which was good.  The worst one was The Brazillian Chussacaria place - awful dry meats, no sauces, timing was not co-ordinated with sides coming out and most of the meats were cooked rare which I hate pink meat, so I ended up eating very little and having to go to the buffet afterwards.  Would I pay for them myself?  No - as lots of people have said, you already paid 1000's of pounds or dollars for the cruise so I would not be prepared to pay any extra, even for the fabulous Cagneys Steak.

[big al]

27 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

The ambiance continued to be better and more intimate than other venues. The food was not. Historically this may have been the case, but there are increasing reports that the value for many does not warrant the upcharge. Many thumbs up for FAS specialty dining, but purchasing more is a waste because the meals no longer live up to the reputation you have experienced. 

Clearly food is subjective..I have a totally different opinion on the food..especially my 4 favs: steak, lobster, shrimp cocktail & desserts...all suck in the MDR IMO...especially shrimp cocktail, which on every one of my 43 cruise on 7 cruise lines has sucked ( except Celebrity recently..), but all the shrimp cocktail in the specialty venues were big, tasty , NOT wet and 10x better than the MDR cocktail..the Tiger Shrimp in Ocean Blue was the best ever, and RCI's Chops was right behind..the Key Lime Pie in Ocean Blue, again, best ever & Chops is 2nd..also I find the potatoes a ton better & grilled veggies much better...but that's me..I was on Princess for 10 nights last March on the new Enchanted Princess and TWICE had to order a burger at dinner because there was nothing on the MDR menu I Iiked..first time in 41 cruises I couldn't find something on the MDR menu..really sad..but the 3 specialty venues all were very good to excellent...I know people who only dine in the MDR, and I know some who only dine specialty, and even know people who only dine in the buffet...different strokes for different folks...we are sailing the NCL Joy in April and can't wait to dine in Ocean Blue, Cagney's, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki's & The Food Republic..the main dining room is what it is ..it will be OK..loud & busy and that's it..nothing special for me...

[gmbhardy]

Just got off the Bliss on a 15 day Panama Canal cruise. We ate at Le Bistro - great meal but I wasn’t aware there is now a $10 up charge for the beef filet (it was worth it, melt in your mouth), La Cucina where I had the Oso Boco (used to be veal, now it’s lamb, IMO not as good), Food Republic where we split the eight selections into two meals (casual, fun place to eat) Los Lobos, food was ok, service not so much (dumped all the dishes on our table at the same time) and Ocean Blue where’ I sent my steak back because it was under cooked, otherwise great meal.  We haven’t booked Cagney’s in a while because our experience there hasn’t been very good but we might try it again as many people said they had great meals there. Food in the MDRs was fine, nothing spectacular but nothing terrible either. Didn’t like the Manhattan Room because it was extremely loud and busy. We missed a show because of slow service one evening. I wouldn’t pay out of pocket for any of the specialty restaurants unless it was a very special occasion.

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Give me Georgian khinkali and khachapuri please.

OK now you just made my mouth water. 😋 Khachapuri is SOOOOO GOOOOOD!! And the Georgian wines are very good, but they don't export the "good stuff." Yum yum.

[DCGuy64]

40 minutes ago, fenny7cats said:

The worst one was The Brazillian Chussacaria place - awful dry meats, no sauces, timing was not co-ordinated with sides coming out and most of the meats were cooked rare which I hate pink meat, so I ended up eating very little and having to go to the buffet afterwards.

That's very disappointing. I LOVE Moderno. Our last cruise, we did experience a service issue with the passadores (or gauchos) bypassing our table for about 10-15 minutes. I finally got up and found a bartender (host station was vacant) and complained. BOOM! 5 minutes later they couldn't come by any more often, I had to shoo them away. The manager came over to apologize and that was the end of the problems. I even wrote a note at guest services praising one of the passadores because he took great care of us and was really friendly. I stand by my conviction that if you ask for good service, you'll get it.

[catinhat]

Is there someplace on this board that has the current menus and prices of this restaurant?  Sorry, I have spent about a half hour searching and have not found them.   We really enjoyed Teppanyaki and Moderno, but inside cabin only comes with one speciality dinner.   Just curious on current prices.  

[butterfly4108]

When I click on the restaurant it show "view menu" right below it's name.  Obviously it's probably a sample menu but something anyway....

[SunshineGal2022]

On 2/1/2023 at 6:51 AM, cruiseny4life said:

There's nothing subjective about burnt "charred" crust pizza. It's horrible. I don't care. You're wrong if you like it. (ok, I'm being slightly sarcastic, but seriously get that charred junk out of my face).

 

As for La Cucina - I agree. We've always had great meals there. Of course it isn't authentic Italian. Go to Italy for that. The burrata is excellent, alas it's gone. Replaced with mozzarella, for your convenience, I'm sure.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the lasagna. The spaghetti carbonara is perfect for my husband as there's no peas or peppers hiding in it. Just a regular carbonara. The pizza is the best on the ship - doesn't say a lot, but hey it's the best. I really enjoyed the pear salad as it was light which is a nice difference from all the heavy food you find on a cruise ship. We also enjoyed the cartoccio, though the portion was created for a child. And, finally, the spicy shrimp was yum, not too spicy, but you could tell it had some spice in it.

Is La Cucina heavy in garlic or onion?  I can’t eat whole onions or garlic; I can tolerate a little powder of each.  I usually avoid Italian places because of this allergy, but some Italian places are light on spices and I can tolerate them.  (I even found a local Italian place that leaves out garlic in my fettuccine Alfredo! 🙂 )

 

Pizza usually is okay, as many marinara sauces I can tolerate, but the places with the heavy use of garlic I cannot go to.  
 

La Cucina wasn’t on my list for these reasons, but others I am traveling with might like it, and I want to know if I can eat it if we go there.

 

(Peppers are intolerable too, I don’t know if they season with peppers, some Mediterranean kitchens do.)

[BirdTravels]

Cagney’s latest gimmick is to give you a choice of steak knives. Why pick anything but the biggest, heaviest knife?

 

[sailorusvi]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Cagney’s latest gimmick is to give you a choice of steak knives. Why pick anything but the biggest, heaviest knife?

 

 

Well my mom had very bad Rheumatoid Arthritis and preferred lower weighted culinary.  I personally do need to be able to pick my own 🙂 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Cagney’s latest gimmick is to give you a choice of steak knives. Why pick anything but the biggest, heaviest knife?

 

Don't you just pierce the flesh with fork tines and guide the steak gently to your mouth, then bite ferociously to free a bite? No knife needed.😇

[epanchenko]

My friend and I were on the Breakway in October, and we paid for the dining package.  He is a foodie more than I am.  Our dinners were the highlight of our trip.  Based on some breakfast and lunches I had in the MDR and the buffet, I am happy I splurged on the package.